A nation-wide signature campaign demanding monthly direct cash assistance of ₹ 6,000 families affected by COVID-19 lockdown was launched here on Friday.
Organised by various civil society organisations, the campaign aims to obtain three lakh signatures and urge the Central and State governments to release funds directly to the affected families during the lockdown.
Addressing media persons, R. Karuppasamy, Convener of Campaign Against Child Labour, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, said the lockdown led to emergence of an unprecedented economic scenario affecting crores of migrant workers, unorganised sector workers, street vendors and small business communities across the country.
“A survey in April revealed that 12.2 crore workers lost their jobs during the lockdown and they were unable to meet their family needs”, he said. Jobless people were forced to borrow money from usurers at exorbitant interest rates, pushing the families further into poverty. “The current situation will lead to human trafficking, bonded labour, child marriage and increase in child labour”, he said.
Members of the NGOs, Centre for Action and Rural Education (CARE), Rights Education and Development Centre (READ) and Vizhuthugal, participated in the campaign.
